THE PROBLEMS SCORE WITH HIT “CLOSE” OFF NEW ALBUM

One spin of New York-based band The Problems’ forthcoming album, Powder Blue Bone, and the listener will hear and feel a rich and engaging blend of roots rock, pop, country, alternative, and even a splash of punk. That’s the way lead singer and songwriter Frank Caiafa likes it. “We hate being pigeonholed into one category,” Caiafa explains. “Because of this band’s ability to play whatever the songs demand, the songs take on a life of their own.”

That dynamic fueled the creative process behind Powder Blue Bone, The Problems’ second full-length independent release following the success of their self-titled debut in 2001. But whereas the first album was written and recorded in a short span of time, Powder Blue Bone was a project three years in the making, with all sorts of twists and turns along the way. “My original concept was for more of a ‘rock’ record, bringing in friends and musicians that would help in that direction,” Caiafa recalls. A serendipitous meeting with Eddy Goldberg and Kate Kilbane, however, convinced Caiafa to reconsider his plans. “It became apparent quite quickly that those songs and that concept just weren’t in the cards,” he says, “so I wound up scrapping or rearranging almost an album’s worth of material to then fit into a more rootsy arena.”

With Kilbane (bass, vocals) and Goldberg (banjo, harmonica and vocals) joining Caiafa (guitar, vocals) and fellow founding member Barbara Corless (drums, vocals), The Problems began writing and recording the 14 songs that would ultimately make up the Powder Blue Bone track list. Welcoming two new members into the fold presented a unique set of challenges, but it also allowed the band to experiment with everything from instrumentation and production to songwriting. The Problems also were joined in the studio by vocalist Charlene McPherson (from the NYC band Spanking Charlene) and guitarist Rich Hinman (from the NYC band Madison Square Gardeners), but as Caiafa explains, Corless helps bring it all together behind the drums.